McRoberts seeking Jawoyn briefing

By Xavier La Canna

Northern Territory Police Commissioner John McRoberts is checking to see what role police played in investigating allegations the former head of the Jawoyn Association misused hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Mr McRoberts told ABC Local Radio that the Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations (ORIC) had investigated the allegations and found no civil or criminal liability of anyone involved in the Association.

But ABC's Four Corners on Monday night revealed allegations the former head of the Jawoyn Association Aboriginal Corporation - Preston Lee - had used three to four hundred thousand dollars of the group's helicopter time for things including taking girlfriends out to Arnhem Land.

Mr McRoberts would not say whether police had also investigated the matter, but said he planned to find out.

"That is a matter that I will be in a position to comment on after I have taken a briefing today," Mr McRoberts said on Wednesday.

"Right now I need to understand exactly what the role of the police was and what the role of ORIC was," he said.

The issue is the latest controversy connecting the Lee family and the Jawoyn Association.

Last week Mr Lee's sister - Northern Territory Country Liberals politician Larisa Lee - agreed to pay back more than $8000 to the association that had been given to her to cover campaign expenses prior to the NT election.

Mr McRoberts in June recommended Chief Minister Adam Giles not answer questions in Estimates hearings in parliament about the investigation into Jawoyn.

He denied his office had been pressured not to investigate the matter because it was a political hot potato.

"I certainly haven't and I can't for the life of me believe that that would have occurred without my knowledge to any of our staff," Mr McRoberts said.